


Saving Princess Tigerlily

by MugenYumeDansu



Series: Little Girls Lost [3]
Category: Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, F/M, Half-Vampires, M/M, Mystery, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Suspense, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-01-25 13:42:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21357160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MugenYumeDansu/pseuds/MugenYumeDansu
Summary: In the wake of the attack on the Lost Boys, Dwayne finds himself drifting away from his family, and drawn to a certain blonde girl with a penchant for surfing at night.But Dwayne wasn't the only one interested in David's mate's human friend. Soon Lea finds herself embroiled in a supernatural conflict between David's pack and the stranger who has his mind set on eradicating the Lost Boys and taking their place as the ruler of Santa Carla.Can Dwayne protect her and fight the feelings that are worming their way into his unbeating heart?
Relationships: David (Lost Boys)/Original Female Character(s), Dwayne (Lost Boys)/Original Female Character(s), Paul (Lost Boys)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Little Girls Lost [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1030346
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Solitary

Solitary

Chapter Playlist:  
Your Star - Evanescence  
Orestes - A Perfect Circle  
Bulletproof - Godsmack

_She was floating, drifting in the surf waiting for the right swell to ride. Her eyes scanned the sea, noting a little disappointingly that the sea was rather calm today, the waves barely big enough to stir up a little froth. Nothing like the ones that those who rode the waves lived for. Lea turned back toward the shore. The pale strand was devoid of the usual gathering. Few people milling about, relaxing in the sunshine, or wading in the shallows. In fact there was only one person anywhere in sight, a tall man with a tangle of dark hair cascading down his deeply tanned shoulders._

_From this distance Lea could only make out the barest of details. But even so, she could tell that the man on the beach was devastatingly handsome. His bare chest that was nicely chiseled without being overly bulky attested to that. Not to mention those shapely legs, revealed by the dark trunks he wore. The athletic blonde licked her lips in appreciation. It had been quite some time since a man had caught her attention._

_Suddenly the clear sky darkened considerably. Lea glanced up to see the stormy gray clouds moving in faster than it should have been possible. She didn't have a chance to start for land when the downpour reached her, soaking her in frigid rain that was uncharacteristic in the middle of summer in California. It was downright arctic._

_A chill sunk into Lea's bones, numbing her down to the core of her being. She shivered despite herself. She grew sluggish and tired._

_The young woman paddled for the beach as fast as she could manage in her hypothermic state, hoping that the rain would let up long enough for her to drag herself onto land and out of danger. Lightning split the sky just then. In the brief flash Lea noticed the lone man on the beach was now pointing in her direction, seemingly trying to tell her something. But whatever it was that he was trying to convey, Lea never found out because at that exact moment a massive swell surged up and crashed down on her, drowning out everything but the cold as the black depths of unconsciousness took her._

***

The alarm buzzing echoed through the room. Lea dragged herself from her obscure dreams and reached over to shut off the irritating sound. Definitely awake, now. She slid from the bed, rubbing her arms against the chill of the morning air, and padded through the dark room. She brushed the remaining vestiges of the dream that she had been in the middle of away like cobwebs. It made no sense anyway.

She flipped the light in the bathroom, glaring at her reflection. Her blonde hair was a tangled mess, and the dark circles under her eyes were like purple bruises that reminded her that she hadn't slept much the night before. The salt that remained in her hair attested to her late night routine. She had been out on the water last night, trying to drown the memories of the day, and had been so tired by the time she got home she hadn't bothered to rinse off before tumbling into bed.

Lea picked up her hairbrush and ran it through her hair until it was manageable. She threw it up in a ponytail and stripped out of her light purple tank top with the sleeping cat picture on the front and light blue sleep shorts. She snagged her gray work out top and went to grab the dark blue joggers she remembered washing the day before from her clean clothes basket and pulled them on. She found some socks and donned them before heading downstairs. Her housemate Maya wasn't up yet, her bedroom door still closed and the sound of light snoring coming from behind it.

The cali-girl made her way over to the coffee pot and filled the reservoir. She measured out the grounds into the fresh filter and started the machine, as she did every morning. The burble of the percolator coming to life was accompanied by the rich smell of coffee brewing. The aroma perked Lea up a bit. She pulled a mug from the cabinet, setting it beside the coffee. She went to the fridge and pulled her liquid creamer and some fruit from it.

This was her daily routine. Coffee, a piece of fruit or a bagel for breakfast, a jog around the neighborhood, and then home to clean up and do some chores, get online to do some of her courses for college, off to work at the game shop for her shift, and after work she would either work on some more of her course work, play one of her game systems for a bit, or more likely she would change into her swimsuit or a wetsuit, grab her board and head out to catch a few waves, and clear her mind of the repetitive loop she had established. And all the while fighting back the tide of her malaise.

She'd been out there more often lately. She really needed to go see her doctor, but between rent and her other household expenses, and paying her college tuition, she didn't exactly have the money to go to the therapist, or pay for the depression meds she needed to be taking. She could feel the familiar funk creeping up on her again. The abyssal mire waiting to swallow her whole.

Sighing, Lea poured herself a cup from the pot that had finished brewing while she was mulling over the repetitive thoughts that had become commonplace for her. She stirred in the vanilla creamer and took a sip of her morning beverage of choice. She sighed contentedly. It was perfect. She drained half the cup in one go, ignoring the fact that it was a touch too hot. Then she bit into the granny smith apple that was her breakfast, savoring the tangy bite.

When she finished her coffee and the apple Lea returned to her room, scooped up her mp3 player, put in her earphones, turned on her workout playlist and headed back downstairs and out the back door. Her feet pounded the pavement, her ponytail swinging from side to side with her strides. She jogged because it allowed her to zone out and ignore the world, at least for a little while. Lea Harper was not what she seemed, at all. The darkness that lurked in her psyche would send most people screaming to the nuthouse. Or worse.

As it was Lea was fairly certain that the only reason she wasn't there herself was because she had been gifted with an amazing ability to compartmentalize. She shoved the dark stuff, along with the majority of her childhood, into its box and made sure the lid was shut and locked, with its chains in place. She rarely let herself look back at her fucked up life. It was better if she didn't. If she focused on the now, then she was fine. What had come before wasn't worth reliving.

She picked up the pace, pushing herself until her legs began to burn. She tried to distract herself, the pounding beat in her ear bringing an image to the forefront of her mind. It was the gorgeous blonde, Shane that had shown up at the shop a few weeks ago. Lea had developed a bit of an infatuation with him.

His pretty hazel eyes, and that roughish smile made her cheeks flush and her heart speed up whenever she thought about him.  
It was Lea's favorite distraction. And these days she needed a distraction more often than she used to. Before when Lea got into one of her lonely moods she would go and seek out her friends, Gemma, and Ronnie.

However Ronnie had moved out a couple months ago to live with her boyfriend David. And though Gemma was technically still a member of the household, she spent more time with her new boyfriend Paul, a friend of David's, spending most nights with him.

From what Lea had heard from her two best friends David and Paul shared their place with some other friends, one of which had been gone for a long time and had recently come back, with his own almost-girlfriend and the girlfriend's brother. Lea didn't think she would enjoy living in a house full of that many people. It was likely chaos. Something Lea didn't deal well with.

Four girls living in a converted Duplex wasn't so bad, with there being two bathrooms, four bedrooms, a huge kitchen, a living room and a den. Most of the time the four of them, Maya, Gemma, Ronnie and herself, barely crossing each other's path most days. There had been plenty of privacy, and room for the girls to hang out when they wanted.

However, now it seemed rather empty, since Ronnie had moved out, Gemma was barely around and would probably be moving in with her boyfriend and Ronnie soon. That left Lea and Maya. It wouldn't be so bad if Maya wasn't always gone, or sleeping. The Hispanic girl had never really been all that sociable. Not that Lea could say much. She was pretty reclusive herself these days.  
It just left the blond in a peculiar rut. She missed her best friends, but she didn't want to be subjected to the chaotic situation that the other two lived in. So better to be on her own, rather than uncomfortable and  
Lea made her way back to the house, having made her loop. She dropped her music on the kitchen table and headed upstairs to take a shower, hoping it might improve her mood.

It didn't. It was relaxing, sure. But it did nothing for her state of mind. It was with a mild sense of melancholy that Lea planted herself at the kitchen table with a second cup of coffee and her laptop to get started on her school work. She quickly immersed herself in her academics and tuned out the world. Yeah, she was definitely going to be surfing tonight.

***

The night was cool. It wasn't quite winter, yet. But it wouldn't be long until the mildly colder weather set in. Dwayne lay across his bed in the dark, listening to the movement of the ocean waves outside. David and Ronnie were downstairs in the kitchen. Marko was on his way up from the basement, where his room had been set up, Paul and Gemma were giggling in their room across the hall.

Lilith was in the shower. Lucius was actually not home. Dwayne was waiting for his chance to slip away. He had stuck close to home for a while after the move from Hudson's bluff to the mansion like three story house that belonged to Lilith and Lucius. After the attack that had nearly claimed Gemma's life and brought about her turn to half-vampire, and Ronnie's first kill, subsequent turn and the discovery of her pyrokinetic abilities, none of them were exactly eager to stray too far and end up caught unawares. David was more than content to stay holed up in the house with his mate unless they needed to feed.  
Since the attack Marko had discovered his own affinity for earth. None of the others had discovered any new abilities, as yet.

Lilith hypothesized that Marko's ability came from being buried underground and fed virgin blood every full moon for thirty years. David agreed with her. So did Dwayne. It seemed more likely to be the case. None of them really understood the necromancy that Lilith was capable of. Sometimes not even the witch herself. She spent a lot of time practicing her magic, and discovering the limits of the vampiric abilities granted to her by the bond with Marko. So far she was capable of flight, she was stronger than a human, and had the ability to use glamour.

Nearly everything a half vampire could do, without the inhuman transformation and the bloodlust. It seemed like Lilith had gotten the better deal.

Dwayne had been withdrawing more and more ever since David and Paul had both found their mates. Then Marko had returned miraculously from the dead, bringing his own unclaimed mate and her shapeshifter brother into the fold. Despite the fact that everyone, including Lucius could see that Marko and Lilith were compatible, the witch retained her naive innocence, even in the face of a group of vampires now resided in her home. And Marko danced around the subject when it came up, a nervous wreck when anyone tried to confront him on it. So Dwayne was the only one left. He didn't expect to find a mate. Dwayne had had a family before the turn. But that was literally over a century ago, now. He didn't dwell on it much. It was too painful.

Unable to stand his cabin fever any longer, Dwayne rose from the bed and dressed in his black jeans and a navy blue tee-shirt with a screaming jaguar image on the front, pulled on his heavy black boots and leather jacket, managed to get his curly main of hair into a ponytail, grabbed his current book, a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's works he had been reading lately, and went to the window. He pulled the blackout curtain aside and quietly slipped out the window.

What he needed was solitude. And to make sure that Ronnie's friend was undisturbed. The night air was refreshing, and helped the vampire relax a small degree as he soared over the beach below. Dwayne didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but Lea was quickly becoming an obsession to the dark vampire. Knowing that he would see her tonight helped his state of mind better than a smoke session with Paul. Not that the boys had had one of those in ages.

When he reached the boulder where he usually sat, Dwayne landed softly and found a decent place to perch. He didn't crack open the tome he carried, instead searching the rolling waves for a familiar figure. He knew she was out there, he had opened his mind to search for her presence as he approached. She was out there somewhere. It only took him a moment to pick her out in the water. She was sitting astride her board, drifting in the surf. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she wore the pink and black wetsuit tonight. She was waiting for a good wave. Dwayne had watched her do this before.

He waited until that wave arrived, Lea paddling quickly, taking advantage. He watched her coast through the barrel of the wave, the dip and curve of her board as she guided it across the surface of the ocean in a graceful dance. He admired the way she moved. It was like she was meant to be out there, carving those waves. Once upon a time he may have joined her. But it had been a long time since Dwayne had attempted to surf. It hadn't even been worth it to begin with. The water had burned his skin, and he may be many things, but a masochist he was not. Add to that his supernatural reflexes and the ability to fly kind of took the challenge out of the sport. It was supposed to be a challenge of skill and ability. No, it had been a very brief thing for him.

Instead he stuck to his bike. That was more his speed. But if he ever did try it again, he would definitely have been tempted to by the pretty blonde that seemed to love being in the water more than being on land.

Dwayne turned to his book, finally opening it to the page he had marked. His attention split between his book and the surfer currently resting once more on her board until the next wave came.

Dwayne was so enraptured by her that he didn't even notice the approach of another vampire until David spoke into his mind.

_'So this is where you sneak off to when no one can find you.'_ Dwayne's head snapped toward his brother, surprise painting his features for a brief moment before Dwayne schooled his expression back to the usual mask of indifference that he wore.

_'Good place to read. Do you need me?_' Dwayne sent back, ignoring the knowing look that David gave him.

_'Actually, Ronnie had wanted to ask you for a favor. One I think you won't be too inclined to disagree with.'_ David dropped to a crouch, his duster flaring briefly. His statement caught Dwayne's curiosity.

_'What request would that be?_' He tilted his head, one eyebrow raising slightly. Anyone who didn't know him as well as his brothers would never have noticed the shift at all, it was so slight.

_'She wants you to keep an eye on her friends. Particularly the one currently out there in the water in that extremely tight wetsuit. She thinks that the invader might know where the girls lived, and might use one or both of the other two girls as bait, like the werewolves did. And I'm inclined to think she may be right. I want to keep an eye on them both, just in case.' _The leader explained. His icy blue eyes drifted out to watch Lea as she ripped across another wave. The dark vampire followed his gaze. They both silently regarded the oblivious human that went on about her business, blissfully unaware of the eyes tracking her every move. If they were watching, unnoticed, then it was entirely possible that they weren't the only ones doing so. Dwayne frowned at the thought.

_'I'll do it_.' He stated. David didn't acknowledge his reply, having expected exactly that response. He didn't need to acknowledge it.

_'Just be home by dawn.'_ David said, and then he was gone. Dwayne didn't snort, but only just. David didn't need to give him a curfew, like a child. Dwayne closed his book, not interested in the story any longer. The fact that David had been able to sneak up on him did not escape Dwayne's notice. That was not good. Dwayne had always been the best fighter among the boys. He was always aware of his surroundings, cataloging everything, and taking in every detail, from advantages to disadvantages, to possible traps. The last time he had let his vigilance lapse it had nearly cost them all their lives.

No, he couldn't afford to let himself become too wrapped up in anything like that again. For the rest of the night he made sure to keep himself focused on his surroundings, as well as watching his surfer while she indulged in her favorite night time activity.

***

Ronnie was curled into the corner of the black curtained canopy bed that was hers and David's in the third floor bedroom that Lilith had given them, a mirror to the one Lilith herself resided in. The heavy drapes billowed in the wind from the open balcony doors that David had left through earlier. Ronnie was worried. About her mate, her brothers, her best friends, both the human and the half vampire, about the rest of the pack. About the vampire that had accosted them at the lair and caused then to move in order to protect themselves. It was all she seemed to do these days. Well that and train with Lilith to learn to control her abilities, and help to teach Gemma her own abilities.

Ronnie had never thought she could do what she now did on a regular basis. Who knew that she was one of those rare vampires that could manipulate one of the elements.  
David had a theory that Ronnie was a pyrokinetic now because her first kill had been a half vampire, instead of a human, which had basically boosted her to the same level as he and the boys were, all of them being far older and having gone to ground at least once.

Of course, it had been a bit of a shock when Marko had discovered his affinity for earth accidentally when Lilith had tripped and tumbled down the stairs on her way to the root cellar, and Marko had reached out as if to catch her from across the room, and the packed earth floor had responded to his panicked reflex by shooting up and breaking her fall with a pillar of semisolid soil. Suffice to say, David was now entirely convinced that there was some other force at work, stacking the deck in his favor. Ronnie was skeptical.

Lilith, however, fully believed David's assumption. She had told Ronnie about the myth that vampires were the progeny of some Mayan or Aztec god that supposedly took on the form of a giant demonic bat that drank human blood, and lived in the underworld. It would explain the fact that they all had more batlike features when they transformed into their other form, and the inability to go out in the sunlight. It still sounded farfetched. Like the Greek myths created to explain natural phenomenon.

However, there was a part of Ronnie that wanted to believe. How could she rationalize the existence of vampires, seeing as she now was one. Or Lilith's magic? Or even Lucius's shape shifting? Or the werewolves that had attacked Gemma and Lea when Ronnie was barely a half vampire all those months ago? But she took it all with a grain or two of salt.

David was rather close mouthed about the whole thing, not really sharing much about the subject aside from what Lilith had told her. Most of the time when Ronnie asked David would make a noncommittal sound and tell her that it didn't matter if it was true or not, vampires existed, magic existed, and things were the way they were, and he didn't care either way if some Aztec god was the reason they existed, or not. They did, and that was all that mattered. It irritated Ronnie to no end, but she didn't push her mate. She knew when it was pointless.

The thing that they should be worried about was the new vampire that had caused all of this chaos when he had attacked them. Ronnie was worried that he had been following them, and that she or Gemma had led him back to the house, and to Lea and Maya. Lea was more of a concern than Maya, since Lea and Gemma had been close friends even before Ronnie had come to Santa Carla over a year ago. Ronnie had grown close to the blonde as well, and worried for her. Maya had never really been around to bond with, working most of the time. Not that Ronnie didn't care about her, just not as strongly as she did Gemma and Lea.

Ronnie had asked David to have Lea guarded until they managed to find the rogue vamp and put an end to him so he posed no threat to them again. Which is where her mate was right now. He had mentioned that he intended to ask Dwayne to play bodyguard until this whole debacle was resolved. David wasn't unaware that Dwayne had been growing distant ever since Gemma and Paul had gotten together. It hadn't been so bad before, because Ronnie and Dwayne got along well. But even Ronnie would admit that being around the equivalent of two newlywed couples would be more than she could handle.

From what David had told her, Dwayne had had a family back when he was human, but that they had died tragically before David had met his brother. That Marko had even found a possible mate in Lilith, if he ever plucked up the courage to take that step, must wear on the only solitary vampire in the pack. Ronnie sympathized. She had been there before. The only unattached person in a room full of couples.

David hoped that by having Dwayne watch over Lea it might help the stoic vampire to get a break. Especially from Paul and his mate, since the two stoners acted more like horny teenagers than anything else. Even Lilith had already walked in on them in the pantry. Not to mention the shower incident that Ronnie wished she had never been party to. Poor Lucius had even started to disappear occasionally, his shifter senses being a bit keener than the vampires. Not as often as Dwayne, but often enough to take note of.

Ronnie felt that if something didn't change soon, then the pack may lose one of their members. The rift there was getting worse every time that Dwayne was witness to the affection the two mated pairs showed each other often. Ronnie had made an effort to tone it down when he was around, doing her best to reduce the hurt in the dark vampire's eyes that the others failed to notice.

Just then the drapes whipped to the side and David strode in from the balcony. Ronnie looked up with a hopeful expression. David nodded, heading for the door to the bathroom.

"He agreed." He tossed over his shoulder. Ronnie sagged in relief. At least her remaining human friend would be safe. Dwayne was the only one Ronnie would have trusted with Lea's safety.

"Thank you David." she said, knowing that he heard her. His blonde spikey head poked around the doorframe. He was smiling that wicked smile that set her belly fluttering.

"Did you know he's been out there watching her at night anyway? Its where he keeps slinking off to when we're distracted." He asked, his eyebrow raising slightly. Ronnie's own brows furrowed in puzzlement.

"Huh. I wonder why? It's not like he's ever met her. Right?" The raven haired vampire rose from the bed and made her way across the bedroom to follow David, as he had ducked back into the bathroom as soon as he delivered his news. He was currently stripping out of his black tee-shirt, his leather duster hanging on a hook on the door. Ronnie smiled a little bit. Who knew that her vampire could be so civilized after literally living in a cave for almost a century.

"No, not that I'm aware of. Maybe he thought she'd make a good snack." Ronnie smacked her mate lightly on the shoulder for his sarcastic comment. His pale hand shot out lightning fast and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her off balance and she stumbled forward, hands coming up to catch herself on his bare chest. His other arm snaked around her waist, pinning her to his bare chest. And a nice, firm, toned chest at that.

"Careful, I might take you hitting me as an invitation." He purred sexily in her ear. Ronnie shuddered, his teasing lighting a fire in her belly. Her vivid green orbs lifted to his icy blue ones. Ronnie hadn't meant it that way, but apparently her mate was hiding a bit of tension. Ronnie smirked and let the mischief show through her expression. Play time.

"It's always an invitation David." She purred back. The fire that lit in his eyes made her heart jump in her chest a millisecond before she was shoved roughly into the bathroom door and David was shoving her band shirt up and unbuckling her belt to drag her jeans down her thighs. His mouth found hers as his fingers delved into her heat, making her squirm. He pumped his fingers into her core roughly, ramping the pleasure up when his other hand cupped a breast and squeezed hard enough to hurt. Ronnie cried out and came hard against her mate's fingers.  
She didn't have time to recover before he was sliding his cock into her to the hilt. His now unoccupied hand slid to her hip, claws digging into her skin.

"Fuck, David. Just like that..." She let out a string of curses as he rammed his hips into her hard enough to bruise. Her legs were locked around his hips, her heels digging into his thighs, egging him on. She was riding the high of the first orgasm, a second building fast when David growled and nudged her head to the side to bare her neck and sank his fangs into her jugular. Ronnie came instantly, followed closely by David as he rammed into her once more and coming hard inside her tight sheath, just the taste of his mate's blood enough to send him over the edge.

They both leaned against the wood for support as David disengaged and slid from her, both above and below. Ronnie knew she was going to be sore, but she fucking loved his brutality. Besides, it wasn't like she wouldn't return the favor later, riding him hard into the bed and drinking her fill of his blood this time. She slid her legs to the floor and retrieved her discarded jeans, not bothering with underwear, since he would only chase her down and rip them off of her anyway. It might be worth a second round, but Ronnie was getting a little tired of replacing the panties that David destroyed.

The two went their separate ways, the conversation being over for the moment. David stepped into the shower, having shed the rest of his clothes as Ronnie redonned her pants, and she headed back through the bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen.

When David fed from her and she didn't do the same it always left her hungry. Lilith made sure to keep the refrigerator stocked, so Ronnie went to dig out some hot pockets to munch on while her other half enjoyed his shower. Her thoughts returned to the statement David had made about Dwayne.

He was watching Lea now? When had that happened? Ronnie pulled the box from the freezer, prepping the pastries and popping them into the microwave. She leaned against the counter, pondering.

So if the quiet vampire was watching over Lea, did that mean he had a potential mate bond with her? as it out of a loyalty to Ronnie, seeing as Lea was she and Gemma's best friend?

Would he do the same for Maya? Or was this Dwayne forming an attachment to a human?

Ronnie thought about the fact that Dwayne had taken to making himself scared lately. Maybe this was just an escape. With Gemma and Paul making like bunnies in season even Ronnie felt the need to disappear once in a while. But then, she and David were only slightly less bunny-like in that regard.

The microwave beeping drew Ronnie's attention. She put her thoughts aside for the time being. But the idea that Dwayne might be interested in Lea for selfish reasons still niggled at the back of her mind. She would figure it out later though. Right now there were hot pockets to be eaten.


	2. Incorporeal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
Bye Bye Beautiful - Nightwish  
Voices - Motionless in White

Lucius was lounging in his wolf form, outside the house. He could see Maya's silhouette in the window as she moved around in her bedroom. She seemed to be getting ready to go out, to him. He was waiting patiently to trail her. David had asked him to do this, and he had agreed, despite the fact that he chafed at David taking over and becoming the person everyone answered to just because he was the head vampire, which irritated the wolf. He and his sister weren't vampires, and thus outside of David's sphere of control. In fact, the vampire leader owed he and his sister for taking them in after the fiasco of being driven out of their lair by another vampire. And Lucius would like to be the one to tell David exactly how much he owed them. 

  
But Luc fully believed that the two innocents needed protecting. Vampires tended not to care who got caught in the crossfire during territorial disputes. But Luc cared. And Ronnie definitely still cared about her human friends. As did Gemma. The little blonde girl was already being covered by Dwayne, who Luc actually got along pretty well with. So Luc had taken the opportunity to create a little harmony by allowing David to think that he was doing as asked, rather than what he had intended to do all along.

  
Luc's ears swiveled forward as he noticed that Maya had left her room now, and was stepping out the front door. She turned to relock the door, her deep fuschia skirt swishing around her ankles. She turned toward the boardwalk and ambled down the road at a leisurely pace. Luc followed at a distance, resuming human form when they got close enough to the boardwalk that his wolf form could no longer hide, and his human form wouldn't be noticed. 

  
Luc was thankful for his magical status. Unlike true werewolves, Luc was fully dressed, retaining his entire bipedal form, clothes and all, when he shifted. Normal werewolves were forced to shed their clothes in order to shift, and their change was never smooth or painless, or fast. Luc had the advantage there. Plus he wasn't under the thrall of the moon, or at risk of turning someone else into one of his kind. As far as Luc knew, he was a unique shifter, not bound by the laws that other shifters were ruled by.

  
Which was very fortunate, as Maya had picked up her pace as she reached the crowd on the boardwalk. It allowed the shifter to weave through the throng, keeping the tiny girl in his sight, the large jeweled pink flower clip in her hair a beacon for him.

  
But Luc didn't expect the girl to disappear between one moment and the next. Which was exactly what the Hispanic girl did. Luc made it to the spot where he had last seen her, but he couldn't pick out her scent among so many others, or the sight of her bright attire. But he did pick up the tang of ozone, and a hint of fur, accompanied by the odd scent of damp leaves and soil.

  
Luc turned in a circle, looking for the girl. He couldn't spot her no matter how hard he looked. A pit of dread opened up in his gut. This wasn't good.

  
Luc looked for her for several hours, taking great care, and eventually taking up a guard post near the entrance, watching for Maya's return. But by the time the boardwalk had shut down for the night, Maya had yet to make a reappearance. Nor had any girl dressed in similar fashion.

  
Luc shook his head, unable to figure out how the girl had slipped him, resolving to watch the hotel she worked at the next day. She was bound to show up, and he would be much more careful not to lose her again.

  
He returned to the house for the night, tired and frustrated. He didn't tell David just yet. If it happened again he would. Luc showered, ate, and headed for bed, putting the matter out of his head for a while.

Little did Luc know that would be the last glimpse he would catch of the little Hispanic girl.

***

Laying back on her board, the chilly waves lapping at her legs and sides, Lea lay staring up at the stars. The gentle rocking of the water distracted her from her thoughts. Lea often contemplated the risk of being out here in the water at night. There were definitely sharks in the ocean here. But she had never encountered one yet. It seemed that most predators stayed the hell away from her. Even spiders and snakes shied away. Maybe it was something about her. Maybe they knew she was broken.

  
She had been laying out here, gently rocking in the chilly water for a long while. She had caught a few good waves, but her mood tonight was taking her in a different direction. She was lonely tonight. She wanted to talk to someone. To be drawn out of her own head for a time. She had never missed Gemma more than she did right now. Lea could definitely go for a smoke session. The haze of the grass would dull the razor edge of Lea's thoughts, and Gemma's constant stream of random observations and absurd ideas would make Lea laugh and think about something that had never occurred to her before.

  
The blonde was seriously considering calling the bubbly girl, or Ronnie. The wild raven haired girl would likely attempt to drag the rest of them off on some adventure. It would definitely break Lea out of her current malodorous mood.  
Lea sighed and sat up to start the trip back to shore, knowing that she wouldn't be interested in catching anymore waves this evening.

Lea trudged up on the soggy beach and propped her board up. It wasn't far to the house, maybe a mile or so. It was a walk Lea made so often that she had become familiar enough to walk it in her sleep. But she wanted nothing more than to flop down on the ground, sand particles be damned, and lay there. Sighing she hefted her board and headed for her flip flops that waited beside a large boulder. 

  
The trek home was monotonous. Lea stored her board in the garage and headed inside. She snagged a bottle of water from the fridge on her way to the shower. Peeling her damp clothes off and dropping them in the laundry hamper, she reached to turned the water on, adjusting it and stepping back to let it reach the peak temperature. She cracked open her water and guzzled half of it down while she waited. Steam was beginning to billow out into the bathroom, so Lea set down her drink and stepped into the spray, sliding the glass door shut. 

  
The hot water felt amazing. Lea relaxed considerably as she went through her usual routine of washing her hair and face, and then scrubbing herself nearly raw with the organic jasmine scented sugar scrub she favored. The light floral aroma wrapped around her and calmed her nerves. By the time Lea stepped out of the shower, skin pink and smooth, hair free of salt and smelling pleasant, she felt a little better.

  
Toweling off, she headed for her bedroom to get dressed. The balcony doors were open, her seafoam green sheer curtains flapping softly in the breeze. Lea dug a pair of pastel blue and purple pajamas out of the drawer and got dressed for bed. As she was drying her hair one last time with the towel her phone chimed from its place on the dresser. Curious, she went to see who was texting her at this time of night.

  
There were three messages from Gemma and one from a coworker asking Lea to switch shifts with them that Saturday. Lea responded to the last one, agreeing to take that shift. After all, Shane had shown up on a Saturday. Maybe Lea would get lucky and he would come in again. She hoped so.

  
Lea sent Gemma a message, asking if the younger girl would be at the house any time soon. Gemma responded immediately. She invited Lea to the boardwalk with her and Ronnie. Lea accepted, excited to be seeing them soon. Lea smiled, and chatted with her friend, effectively putting her mood from the day out of her mind. By the time she fell asleep she felt much better knowing that she would be seeing Gem and Ronnie in a matter of hours.

***

The darkness was broken only by the slight flash of light off of a surface so dark it made the blackness around it seem brighter in comparison. The coiling shadows seethed with what seemed a life of their own. 

The abyssal black of the mirror was broken by a hand, coated in amber fur and tipped by razor sharp claws pressing against the other side. A glowing eye slitted open to reveal the chartreuse glow of a slitted eye. The deep growl reverberated in the unknowable expanse of shadow. 

A previously hidden figure was revealed by the glow of that single orb. They were covered in a hooded cloak, kneeling before the enormous obsidian slab of a mirror.

The gutteral growl spoke in a foreign language, one long dead in this world. 

"_Is all progressing a planned?"_

"Yes." The figure answered in english.

"_Good. Proceed." _The entity from the other side of the mirror commanded. The hooded figure nodded once and then all light disappeared once again when the entity closed its eye, dropping the world into pitch black.


	3. Interstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
The In-Between - In This Moment  
Necessary Evil - Motionless in White  
The Dark of You - Breaking Benjamin

Lea smiled as she finished combing her hair into a high ponytail. She was feeling pretty good about tonight. She was meeting up with Ronnie and Gemma and cruising the boardwalk. The three hadn't done this in months, and if Lea was honest with herself, she missed it, rare as it had been.

She regarded her reflection in the full length mirror. She was dressed in a dark blue tank top, black low rise jeans, and a pair of rhinestone sandals. She threw a light denim jacket over her tanktop and decided that it was satisfactory.

The blonde made her way downstairs and out the door, intending to walk to the boardwalk.

The night air was cool on her face. Lea took a deep breath and sighed happily. She loved the feeling of the night air, loved the ambiance of it. After sunset it felt like a weight lifted from Santa Carla's shores and gave way to the carefree night. The boardwalk was in within hearing distance, and the sound of the crowd enjoying themselves lifted her spirit.

Lea meandered her way to the boardwalk entrance and looked around for Ronnie's bike in the parking lot. It wasn't there yet, so she started down the boards toward a little cafe with outdoor seating. They had met up here often enough that Ronnie and Gemma would know where to find her. She ordered herself a small tea and took a seat with a clear view of both the boardwalk entrance, and the beachfront. 

Lea was scannIng the crowd looking for signs of her friends when her eyes caught on the gaze of someone quite familiar. Shane was leaning against a railing looking in her direction, eyes intense, as they always seemed to be. He was dressed in a white button down and dark Jean's, and Lea's mouth nearly went dry at the sight of him. As soon as she spotted him a half smile graced his lips. A grin broke out across her face as he pushed himself off his perch and strode over to her.

"Fancy meeting you here, Lea. What brings you out tonight?" The blonde asked, slipping into the seat beside her as if he belonged.

"Oh, I'm meeting some friends here. We haven't hung out in a while and we just thought a night out would be nice. How about you?" She told him conversationally. A chuckle rumbled in his chest. He turned toward her, an arm resting on the table behind her. She could almost feel the ghost of his skin on hers.

"Actually a little bit of business I need to take care of, sadly. I'd love to be here for pleasure, but there are some matters I need to attend to." He practically purred. Goosebumps prickled across her skin at the word 'pleasure'.

"Oh, well that's too bad. I would invite you along with us if you were free. Ronnie and Gem wouldn't mind." Lea told the blonde beauty. She turned to glance around for them again. And she spotted Ronnie coming through the crowd. The raven was distinctive in her oversized leather jacket and the shredded black jeans the look almost painted on. Beside her Gemma cut quite a figure as well, dressed in a bright blue halter dress with gold gladiator sandals on. "Oh, speak of the devil, there they are." 

Shane looked up to where Lea was watching her friends approach. Immediately his demeanor changed, like flipping a switch. From relaxed, open and sensual, he was suddenly rather intense.

"That's just as well, I need to be getting back to my errands. It was nice to see you Lea. Perhaps we can catch up at some later date, when I don't have a previous engagement." He said stiffly. Before Lea could blink he was gone, leaving bewilderment in his wake. She was still looking to see which direction he had disappeared in when Ronnie and Gemma made it to her. 

"Hey, long time no see, stranger." Gemma chirped, flopping onto the seat beside the bench beside the blonde. Ronnie didn't sit down immediately, however. Instead she was staring off into the crowd, a strange look on her face.

"It has." Lea laughed.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" Ronnie asked in lieu of a greeting. Lea raised an eyebrow at the tone of her friend's voice. 

"Who, Shane? I met him at work. Just happened to run into him. Why?" Lea asked.

"Hmm." Was the raven's only reply before she smiled brightly and threw herself in beside the other two on the bench as if nothing at all had occurred. "Well, I hope you don't mind us having a tag along. Lilith will be here shortly. She had something to do real quick."

"Oh? Well I don't really mind." Lea replied. She had heard about the girl, but hadn't met her yet. And she was very curious.

"I think you might like her." Gemma chimed in as she snatched Lea's drink from her and took a sip. Lea let out an indignant squeak and snatched her cup back from the petite strawberry blonde. 

This started the two girls bickering good naturedly over the drink, the petty squabbling giving way to giggles and smiles.

The three were still giggling when a bell like laugh sounded. Lea looked up to find a girl dressed in a purple corset and black leather pants with a pixie cut to her jet black hair standing before them. She was quite pretty, but she seemed a bit awkward standing there.

"Hey Lil. Lea, this is Lilith." Ronnie introduced them.

"Nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you." The little goth girl smiled sweetly.

"Oh, well thank you. It's nice to meet you too." The surfer smiled back. Lilith seemed to visibly relax.

"So, where we goin' first? Carousel or the Dipper?" Gemma asked.

"I don't care really. You pick." Lea said, taking a sip of her drink. 

"Oh, I've never been on a rollercoaster before. Can we do that?" Lilith asked, her whole face lighting up. She was honestly quite adorable. Lea decided that she was going to like Lilith.

"Oh, Lilith has been really sheltered most of her life. She's never been to the boardwalk before. That's why we brought her. We figured you wouldn't mind." Gemma explained. Lea smiled. It was going to be a fun night.

"Definitely. You're going to love it." Lea told Lilith. The foursome rose from their seats and set off for the Giant Dipper. Lilith was already looking around in wonder at everything. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and soon Lea found herself enjoying everything as if she hadn't been here a thousand times before. 

***

Brown eyes followed the group of females, keeping close watch on their surroundings. Dwayne was sure that Shane was still lurking nearby. As was Ronnie. When she had noticed Shane there with Lea she had immediately informed him. It seemed that the rogue was indeed targeting Ronnie's friend. He had made the point of being seen with her. David was going to be pissed. 

And Dwayne had decided that he wasn't going to let the girl out of his sight. He had promised to protect her, and he fully intended to do exactly that. 

If Shane so much as laid a hand on her, Dwayne vowed that he would personally make sure those hands were severed from the rogue vampire so he couldn't touch what belonged to Dwayne again.

Though he was keeping an eagle eye out on the girls' surroundings, he also noticed how much Lea seemed to be enjoying herself. 

A part of him ached at the sight. He desperately wanted to be the one down there with her, sharing in her excitement. But he knew better. So he contented himself with watching from afar, burning the image of her carefree smile into his memory. 

Following via rooftops and shadows, he made note of just how at ease the blonde was around the others. That was both good, and bad. She was safe with them, but David and Ronnie wanted her to remain human. 

Dwayne was conflicted. He'd already grown attached, and they had yet to even meet. He had realized that she was a potential mate, but he wouldn't go against his eldest brother and sister's wishes.

This put him in between a rock and a hard place and he couldn't see any viable solution. Besides, Lea herself would have to make that choice as well, and Dwayne never wanted to put her in that position.

The girls had paused to take a ride on the old carousel, and Dwayne was sitting atop an air conditioner unit on the roof of a building overlooking them. He was fully aware of his surroundings, watching his sisters having fun. It brought a rare smile to his lips. 

But the smile was quickly gone as Dwayne became acutely aware of the vampire that had just landed a few feet from him.

He turned toward the vampire he and his brother's had been hunting. Shane stood in a relaxed stance, cocky smirk on his lips.

"_Ronnie, he's here._" He sent to his sister. She responded immediately. No sooner than her confirmation came than his brother's sent their own that they were on their way.

"So, you're watching the girl?" Shane asked. Dwayne's eyes narrowed.

(TBC)

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Hello all! Mugen's back baby! Ok, down to biz. So as many of you may not know, I made a resolution this New Year's to finish up the majority of my stories (all, but its just not going to happen, unfortunately) before posting new ones. Well, I am actually working on the Little Girls Lost series first and foremost, since it is my baby. The second series that will be updated will be my TWD series OC/Daryl werewolf story. But it is a HUGE project, and I recently moved, went through the loss of my mother, may she rest in peace, and currently have no access to the internet regularly, so I'm basically cut off from watching the series or doing any research. But luckily enough I actually have the Lost Boys Movie, so I'm not in such a predicament here. Lucky for all my faithful readers!  
So, until I manage to get where I can do my TWD stuff, this story shall take precedence. I finally finished the last 2 chapters of Chasing Faeries, after MONTHS of radio silence, for which I am truly sorry. And now I have the entire outline for Princess Tigerlily all mapped out, ideas are flowing pretty good so far, and I have 2 chapters ahead already written, just waiting to be posted.  
Also, I am currently devoid of a beta, so any and all mistakes are entirely my own. Glad to finally be working on Dwayne and Lea's story. Poor babies deserve it. So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Princess Tigerlily, and its good to be back!


End file.
